Japanese Researchers Achieve Record 56Gbps Wireless Transmission

Mickeycaskill writes: Fujitsu and the Tokyo Institute of Technology have achieved a wireless transmission of 56Gbps over a 10cm distance using millimeter-wave (mmWave) frequencies located between 30-300GHz. While cellular capacity is improved in some areas through the addition of new mobile masts and small cells, the fibre networks used to link these sites to the wider network is either absent or not feasible to deploy in urban locations or on difficult terrain. This makes the wireless capacity of mobile masts even more important. To achieve the speed, researchers developed custom chips and interface technology to boost capacity of wireless signals without significant data loss.

It is claimed that by pairing the technology developed with a high-output amplifier, the same effect can be achieved outdoors and could be commercialised for mobile operators by 2020.

Comments

Re:Range/Signal quality speed

[Rob Lister]

Discovering the limits is important. I have no problem with the research. Have we even discovered the limits of a simple two-wire twisted pair? Probably, at least to practicality, not improbably perfectly. It's just basic research. Which is good. Probably a whole lot more useful than finding the Higgs. And a lot cheaper. :?

Light on details

[Anonymous Coward]

The article was light on details. How wide was the spectrum used? It says 30-300 Ghz - does that mean the entire 270 Ghz of spectrum was used?

Also, spectrum in the 24 Ghz band is already used for outdoor data links. It's fragile, requires perfect line of sight, and suffers from significant rain fade. Higher frequency bands starting at 30 Ghz are not going to work very well outdoors over any significant distance until/unless our fundamental understanding of radio frequencies experiences a major shift.

Not for phones

[Anonymous Coward]

30GHz wireless is never going to be in a cell phone, it's really only suitable for stationary point-to-point connections (the only way to get decent range). So I'm going to assume that by "commercialised for mobile operators" they mean replacing the fiber link to the tower.

The other issue with 30GHz is rain fade, exactly as the name implies the signal is very susceptible to weather and so these systems usually have a lower-frequency (2.4 or 5GHz) backup link to use during rain/snow/etc.

Re:Physics puts enormous limits on using 30-300GHz

[NixieBunny]

I work in millimeter- and submillimeter-wave radio astronomy, where we receive signals in the 60 to 800 GHz range. There is a lot of water absorption of the signal, leaving only certain frequency bands usable. The semiconductors used at these frequencies are rather exotic - we use superconducting materials in our receivers for lower noise, and we cool them to 4 Kelvin. Making a power amplifier to produce even one Watt of signal at 75 GHz is a million-dollar project. In short, it's not likely to be mainstream for at least ten years.